
Philadelphia, Monday, March 21, 1904. 
These lines are written under the above date because it is now at the height of the 
| season and there are a great many little details in regard to sending orders that I wish to 
impress upon my friends at this time when they are fresh in my memory. Next fall these 
ideas which today (March 21, 1904) impress me so much may not seem of such importance. 
| Few of my friends realize the immense amount of detail in the mail order seed trade at the 
height of the season. To give you some idea of the size of my mail at this season of the 
| year, in one single mail last week I received over sixteen hundred (1600) separate Money 
Orders that aggregated $3037.54; while today I received more registered letters than any 
other seed house in Philadelphia. Notwithstanding the fact that I endeavor to 
impress on my friends the importance of signing their name and address to each and 
every order sent me, last week I received $141.00 enclosed with orders that had no address 
| signed to them, no post office, nor anything by which we could trace an order, and the 
postmark was so indistinct on the envelope that it was impossible to tell where the letters 
! were mailed from. I also received about $200.00 worth of orders where the name had 
been omitted, but where the post office was given. With such orders we could write to the 
postmaster for information and in the course of a week or two find out who sent the money. 
In nine cases out of ten the people who sent me the above letters will write within 
four or five days or a week to know why their seed has not come to hand. Their name and 
address will be signed to this communication; but the reader of this can imagine how much 
trouble it-is for us to find the order, as the only thing we have to go by is to look 
through what is called our “no name’ file and compare the writing with the seed orders to 
| see if we can recognize the order. Another thing, few houses are more prompt in filling 
} orders; but today at least 500 of my customers have requested me to send their goods by 
| return mail. Now, in the first place, the mail is so large today that it will not all be 
opened until 5 o’clock this afternoon, alt:.ough we started at 8 o’clock this morning. Then 
the orders must be booked. We expect, however, to have all today’s orders on their way to 
| our customers by Wednesday before 6 o'clock P. M. If you have had experience with other 
| seed houses you will concede that such a record at the height of the season is an excellent 
| one. Ordinarily orders received one day are filled the next; but, as a general rule, at the 
height of the season, namely, March 15th to March 25th, orders are filled two days after 
they are received. I have given you some idea of the incoming mail at the head of this 
note. The outgoing mail is just as heavy. On Saturday, March 19, 1904, we sent to the 
| post office 33 four-bushel bags of seed packages, aggregating 2212 lbs., on which the post- 
age alone amounted to $171.00. In addition to this we shipped at least a carload of 
i stuff by freight, and over five wagon loads of express matter. This was one day’s ship- 
= 
ment and we did not work Saturday night after 7 o'clock. These lines are written on 
March 21, 1904, and I shall not revise them before publication. If this page in my book 
j will influence my customers to take a little pains and sign their name and address with full 
shipping directions to each and every order they send me, it will accomplish the purpose 
ij for which it is written. Of course, the season is not over yet, but it is sufficiently advanced 
lj for me to thank my friends for a business, that, while it does not show a large increase over 
last year, shows a healthy growth and has given me, as well as everyone in my employe 
| about all they could do working night and day for-the last two months. 
Yours to command, 
M@E~Since 1889 Maule’s Seeds have not been WS A 
sold to dealers. If wanted they must be ordered 
direct from 1711 Filbert Street, Philadelphia. = 

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